Harvest Moon Ritual

1. Lesser Banishing Pentagram Ritual burn Sage for purification. 2. Raise Athame to the sky and envision brilliant white entering your blade. "With this Athame of power I hereby consecrate my circle of power. Now cast your circle with the white light that is gathered in your blade. 3. Once circle is cast is summon the elements of the east, South,West and North A. Element of air I bid thee welcome to my ritual. Please observe and protect. Lend forward your intellectual whit and quickness to this ritual. B. Element of Fire I bid thee welcome to my ritual. Please observe and protect. Lend forward your fiery passion and heat to this ritual C. Element of water I bid thee welcome to my ritual. Please observe and protect. Lend forward your emotional depth to this ritual. D. Element of Earth I bid thee welcome to this ritual. Please and observe and protect. Lend forward your concreteness and stability to this ritual. 4. Light the cauldron fire. " Great divinity I bid thee descend. Honor us with your presence at this Harvest Moon. 5. Light the White Candle." Divine creatrix supernal mother progenitor of all. She who's home is on Urinia. You made all that is . I light this candle inviting your presence." 6. Light the Red Candle " Divine enchantress, sister an daughter of the creatrix. Charges of love great warrior in battle I light this candle inviting your presence" 7. Light the black candle " The color black stand for Jorack the wicked. Just as there good so must there be evil. As freedom reigns Domination and submission yearn to leap forward." 8. " To the divine creatrix and enchantress I give thee incense offering. Please find my offering pleasing fragrant and acceptable. Place some incense of the thurible. 9. " Now stands the harvest moon in the sky. A time to gather in that which we have grown in the previous year. Bring in the corn, bring in the grain, turn the wheat to bread before the coming winter devours any thing that is left. Tis the the last moon before the coming darkness. When cold and death shall rule the land. With this last bit of light Oh Enchantress I strive to nourish thee. Give thee strength to resist the onslaught of evil Jorack." The Creatrix speaks " I the creatrix have formed all that is from the Universal energy. I strive to give light. My heart strives to love all my creature. In constant adoration I protect my creation. Harm none but defend if you must. Savor life but shed not tears. Through the winter long I shall sustain. The Enchantress speaks " I the enchantress second made color of red. I lead the world in passion I strengthen the weak to resist. Avenger of the wronged My soul is ruled by the element of passion. Live to the fullest. Kill with vengeance when wronged. Fight and love with equal passion. That is my lesson unto this world. For when II be gone the birthing shall stop and death shall steal over the land. When I sit imprisoned relation are ruled by lust. Oppression replaces freedom." Jorack Speaks " Mock the horned one if you will. Make jokes of my skin and my really long tongue. I am the other side of life that can never be denied. I offer freedom from this material prison by causing you to surrender. Come to to me children you know you want to want. For I am that which dwells deep withing the soil. I am that which dwells deep with in the heart. My path is wisdom with pain. For their can be no joy with out sorrow." "So the story goes, The enchantress travel through the Urninian land with her retinue. The battle is close and hard. But the moon is the ally of the enchantress. It's luminescent light gives her strength which normally wanes at this time of year. The battle rages of the heat of the sun lessen while that of the moon grows strong. Chant Oh children of the creatrix chant and give the enchantress your strength" Some singing dedicated to the enchantress ensues. Energy is given to the Enchantress. " Now we have helped the enchantress by singing and raising and energy but now is the time for our request. We cannot forget our own needs for to neglect them is not the way of Enchantress. To forget our needs is to bring our death. Let us embrace life and sing" Another song is sun and then the request is thrown into the fire. Now is a good time for some mediation 10. " Great deities I offer thee refreshment" poor some liquid on the ground or save until ritual is complete. 11. "Great Deities I offer thee nourishment" let some food fall to the ground. Or save for later. 12. bid the element fare well starting with the north. 13 Bid Farewell to the creatrix, enchantress while extinguishing candles. 14. The circle is open but never broken. 15 Finish with a banishing ritual.

Learning to Walk the Magical Path

Walking the Path of the Ancient Ways by Hydra M. Star
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Those who are drawn to the Pagan path have always been a little bit different from the get go. They have tried to join the mainstream but to no avail it just did not work. They always saw through the hypocrisy, lies and bullshit. Some have felt the calling of the moon goddess since they were small children and even evoked her presence for magic even before they knew it existed. One young person always saw the green man himself, ever present in every facet of life but when she tried to grasp him he would always disappear. Of course not everyone is Wiccan-Celtic-Pagan. There are those who are drawn to Satanism and Chaos magick and heck even spiritual vampyrism. This book short and nifty makes for a very entertaining read. I devoured it in two day and wished there was more to read. Experiences and backgrounds very. Many who came from a Christian background found the hypocrisy brain numbing. They started out with Wicca but found that they could not by into everything Wicca taught and so became Gnostic Satanists. Some people combined their Wiccas beliefs with Gnostic Satanism and came up with something entirely their own.

In fact many author's who have their work featured in the book have left the established path and went on to forge their own path specifically designed for themselves. These individuals are clearly individuals, pioneers and fighter. Some have willed their way through a tornado storm quite literally while others have found Satanism in their family background only to embrace it later without even meaning to . Short, sweet and fun...enjoy.


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Witchcraft for Tommorow

Witchcraft for Tomorrow by e e
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Doreen Valiente has written 3-4 classics on the old religion that are considered the bedrock for practicing Wiccans and Witches. In it she gives a basic over view and enough material for the promising witch to get started. In this book is the described history of Witchcraft gone over in some detail and a through comparison to other religious systems that hail from the far east. Religions from China and India that predate Buddhism and Hinduism have a mother goddess and a horned god. I have been skeptical of this theory but I feel that now there may be some firm basis to this hypothesis put forward by Dr. Murray. Doreen Valiente then goes on to discuss the ethics of Wicca who's foundation is "do what thee will but harm none" . She discusses Crowley's use of it and where he got it from. Doreen Valiente also discusses the theory that Gerald Gardner got everything from Crowley's OTO. She puts the theory on it's head by pointing out that Crowley was one time a member of George Pickinggills Witch cult maybe at around or the same time that Gardner was part of it. Crowley may have been expelled or left on his own. Either case Crowley was not deemed suitable for the group. He also was very sexist and did not like to be bossed around by women. Gardner only knew Crowley for a brief period of time and there is no way he could have copied from Crowley ye they come from the same source, George Pickingill's teaching. The rest of the chapters will discuss content similar to what one will find in a beginner's book on Wicca. Such items would include tools and clothing of the witches, the importance of a working site and the use of Witches alphabets like the celtic Ogham and Norse Runes. The book has a final chapter on Sex magick and using it to achieve magical goals and an ethical way to pursue the subject. The final part of the book has a book of shadows which gives good advice on how to cast a circle, certain spell craft and various chants and invocations to the God and Goddess. She gives a strong dose of her own opinion about the age of Aquarius and how we are ready for a new age. Her attitudes on sex are liberal but not promiscuity and she is in favor of naturism or nudity. A good book for someone contemplating following Wiccan teaching but if one were to get involved they would need to do much more exploration. The book is great fro what it is and the time period it was written. Cannot go wrong with this one.


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The Burning Circle

Circle of Fire by Sorita D'este
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A simple instructional booklet that gets right to the point. Red this simple book and you are ready to practice. Of course you will need to support your learning with other basic books on Wicca to get yourself going into full gear as a solitaire.

Included are explanation aout the tools you will need to practice Wicca. In addition to a list of materials you are also given instruction on how to purify and consecrate your tool. THe symbolism behind the tools is explained very proficiently with no wasted words or wordy explanations.

Sorita'Este also gives instruction on how to cast your circle, begin a ritual and end a ritual. Excellent example of invocations are given along with various mediation practices to help strengthen the mind.

Through out the book the reader is encouraged to read on and discusses the need to further one's study of the God and Goddesses before working with them. Highly reccomended especially if one has not delved into the subject of Wicca before. A great follow up would be Scott Cunningham's "Wicca : A guide for the Solitary Practitioner" and "Living Wicca"

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Farewell To Dejla: Stories of Iraqi Jews

Farewell to Dejla Tova Murad Sadka,Academy Chicago Publishers 2008

Farewell to Dejla is a nifty little book of several short stories that portray the experience of Iraqi Jews. The settings happen in Iraq, Israel and America. In Iraq, contrary to what people might believe the Jews were rather well to do and rather well adjusted. They were times when police men or authorities would give the Jews a hard time, like in the story "Status Quo", when a police inspector is cracking down on all the Kosher butchers. The Rabbi takes care of it by sending a nice gift to the chief of police. The over zealous inspector get's transferred to another area. Things were not always hunky dory as the story "Shoula and the Muslim Man" portrays. Shoula and Iraqi Jewish woman above thirty years of age is on the verge of spinsterhood. She cannot sit by her window without some stalker seeing her. Her mother solves the problem in a rather light hearted way that will leave the reader chuckling. In the story of "Their First Pogrom" we learn that for the most part Muslims and Jews got on rather well, it was only regional politics that finally loused things up. In this story an aged woman defends her property from some potential looter. At the end her family rebukes her for risking her life. The young looter on the other hand only makes off with some small item. The wife rebukes him for not having take more. But what could he say this was his first pogrom. He tells her he will do better next time. In the actual story "Farewell to Dejla" a Jewish woman hires a Muslim man to take her on the tour of the river. It will be her last time as she is soon going off to Israel. The Muslim man laments the loss of the Jews. He does not charge her the fair. The Jews had been in Iraq ever since the Babylonian exile which was thousands of years ago. They were an integrated part of the country an harbored no notion of leaving for the most part. They were non-zionistic. Even the most religious chose to stay. Even in between Arabs and Jews in Israel/Palestine impacted all the surrounding countries and Jews were viewed as enemies of the state. First they were frozen out of their jobs and then their assets were frozen. Under such conditions is no one able to live. Eventually those that chose to leave those wretched conditions were given laisez passsers and were made to give up their citizenship. They left the country with literally the clothing on their back.

In the story "Melting Pot" were learn that the Jews were very disillusioned with life in Israel. The Jews from Baghdad were under the impression that Israel would compensate them for everything they lost and would be given good housing. They were first put in to tents and then tin shacks and only much later did they get apartments. The stories show that the different cultural norms between the Ashkenazi Jews and Iraqi Jews lead to various clashes. On Iraq woman feels insulted by having been asked to help clean up an area of the apartment. A store owner is charged more for renting a piece of land than and Ashkenazi renter is. The Israeli dressed in shorts, sandals and over all general beachware. The Iraqi were more into modesty, conservative behavior and formal dress. The ways of old Iraq and the new ways of Israel did not always mesh. The final section which consists of two stories "Uprooted" and Millionaire's Aid" discuss the life of Iraqi Jews in America. For one young Eli in "Uprooted" coming over to America so his dad can open a pharmaceutical business is tough. He did not want to leave Israel. At first he has a hard time making friends but his grandmother who visits from Israel buys him a new ball and helps devise a strategy to win new friend. In the second story Robert becomes an overnight millionaire. Balancing between family and work is challenging especially when planning an engagement party. You have to choose who to invite and people do get offended if they are left out. Lance is the best planner. But something rather good happens to him at the end.

Heart of Lilith

Lilith: The Legend Of The First Woman Ada Langworthy Collier Kessinger Publishing, LLC (August 29, 2007) Considering that this book was a free download it is not too shabby. The book is written in poet form taking bits and pieces from Islamic, Jewish and Christian lore. Lilith is not seen as someone evil the way many early monotheists saw her but she is viewed rather as a person who is highly intelligent and highly able to love. THe author does not bother to explore any of the Sumerian origins of Lilith which is where the Jews caught wind of her. I did learn one thing. That a lullaby is meant to keep Lilith away. The poem which is divided into books starts off with Adam and Lilith in the Garden of Eden. Lilth feels that since they both were created on the same day and same way that both should hold equal power in the Garden. Adam who has a leopard crouching at his feet does not agree. He feels he should have the power. Lilth gets no recourse so she decides to flee Paradise and explore the wide world. The angel guarding the gate tries in veign to disuade her but to no avail. Lilth wander over the Earth exploring the wild and vast landscape.It is in this wilderness that spies the wild life and the jungles. After a while of mingling with the animals shje decides to return to paradise.

At the gates of paradise she is confronted by none other then Eblis himself. He is the Arabic term for Lucifer. He guides Lilith aroud and shows her his world. She is taken in by all the beauty and gifts he bestows upon her. She marries Eblis. After a while they have several children who are described as Elven, goblins and winged. They fly away from her shortly after they are born. Sorrow grips her heart as she longs for motherhood, Eblis tries offering comfort, but to no avail. Lilith finds her way back to paradise, now someone has taken her place, that person is Eve. Lilith is engraged. In aanger she steals Eve's daughter and returns her only upon the child's death. In jewish lore Lilith was Adam's first wife. She left because she would not take the submissive position during their love making but insisted on being on top. While in the desert she copulates with animals and produces demonic offspring. God sends three angels begging her to return home lest they kill her demonic offspring. She refuses but agrees not to kill children wearing amulets containing the name of three angels. he is now a child killer. Islamic legend has her living in Damascus with Eblis.

Underneath the Psychological Hood

Why Can't I Change? How to Conquer Your Self-Destructive Patterns by Shirley Impellizzeri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ever catch yourself getting in your own way? Perhaps you are upset that you are not so successful yet youy have been offered several promotion only to turn them down. You find yourself afraid of more responsibility and are deathly afraid of making a mistake that will mess everything up. Perhaps your track record in relationships ain't all to terrific. Getting too close scares you and sometimes the relationships are not close enough that you wonder if your partner really cares about you.

What does it all boil down to. THe author here likes to link it to the parenting styles that our parents rasised us up with. There are healthy styyles where our primary caregiver which is usually the mother is always there and pays proper attention to us. They validate our feeling and if they make a mistake they fix and properly apologize for it, something called repair. Ambivalent parents are kind of flakey and unreliable. Sometimes they are their and sometimes they are not. THis produces someone who is very needy and attention seeking. Everything also worries them. THese sorts need lots of validation. The last type is the parent who is not there. THe child raised in this get a sense of false independence and unreal detachment. Sometimes they do not like it if you cozy up to them too much.

Perhaps the part I found most interesting was the part about the brain functions. The amydala is the fear detector or threat detector. The Hippocampus is our memory recorder and when things are stressfull or frightening it does not record all that accurately. OUr sympathetic nervous system gears us up for flight or fight responses.The parasympathetic gets us calmed down. Events in our life cause these diferent brain centers to work differently. If there is a lot featr our amygdala gets over sized if everything is calm and cool then our brain develops normally.

When people have a messed up background and they find their life is a mess they tend to use a variety of defenses to cover up the problem. Such defenses could include rationalization,sublimation, displacement and a host of others.

The first trick is tyo be aware of our triggers and emotions. Another trick is to go back to that old memory and change the outcome. This makes it less threatening. In addition to awareness there is grounding and staying in the moment.

I do not normally like psychology or self help books and I normally do not like books that point everythig back to the parents. Yet I have found that this books gives lots of insight into the hyuman psyche and that there is lots of useful info here to help overcome your issues

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